Trunk



(No Model.)

W. D. STILLMAN.

TRUNK.

No. 386,902. Patented July 31. 1888.

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N. PETERS. PMOLiiMp-aphcr. Wuhinlion. D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT @FFICE.

WILLETT D. STILLMAN, OF MADISON, \VISCONSIN.

TRUNK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 386,902, dated July 31,1888.

Application filed September 1'7, 1887. Serial No. 249,985

To (ZZZ 207L072?! it may concern.-

Beit known that I, WILLETT D. STILLMAN, acitizen of the United States,residing at Madison, in the county of Dane and State of Wiscousin, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvementsiu Trunks; and I do declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact descrip tion oftheinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use thesame, reference beinghad totheaecompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of referencemarked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to that class of trunks which are constructed withthe object of being easily rolled along on their ends like a barrel. Theattainment of this object has been attempted by making the trunks ofbarrel form or with rounded corners. I accomplish this object by apeculiar conformation of the ends of the trunk, as will be hereinafterclearly shown in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in theclaims.

My invention also relates to the novel arrangement and combination of aball-caster with my improved trunk.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a trunkembodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same. Fig. 3is a vertical longitudinal section on line a: m of Fig. 2, through oneend of the trunk and one caster.

The trunk A consists of a cover or upper portion, 1, and a body or lowerportion, 2, and is provided with hinges 3, lock 4, binding straps 5, andhandles 6, in the usual manner. The trunk is furthermore provided withmy improved metal ends B B, by which the whole structure is firmlyunited together and adapted to be upended and rolled around as easily asa barrel. These metal ends B and B may be made each of one piece ofmetal, so as to present the appearance of solid metal ends, withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention; but I prefer to make themskeleton ends or frames, as herein shown.

a a are the extreme outward ends of the frame, standing in a verticalplane, a a. The front, back, and bottom side flanges, d, (1 and d, of

the frame are straight planes at right angles to vertical plane a a. Thetop flange, (Z is No model.)

curved to suit the usual round-top Saratoga trunk; or it may be madeflat, like the side and bottom flanges, if desired.

Between the end vertical plane, a a, and flanges d, d, d", and d, I makethe frames B B of a conoidal pyramidal form whose apex is at c. Thisgives an easy rolling surface,upon which the trunk may be easily rolledabout. Said rolling surface 1) extends all around the vertical endflange, a a, and although somewhat narrower at three pointsnamely,at bis still sufficiently wide to give a good rolling surfaee,which when thetrunk is upended will enable it to be easily rolled from place to place.

m are dowel-pins secured in the flange a of the lower portion of theframe.

0 are holes in flangep of upper portion,B, of the frame. Said holes 0register with dowelpins m.

h h are slats to bind and strengthen the trunk.

f and f are lugs or cars adapted to receive the ends of slats h h, towhich they are secured by bolts or screws passing through both and intothe trunk top, body, or bottom.

Lugs f upon the bottom of the trunk are made alittle longer than lugsf,and are adapted to receive a ball-caster, as follows:

Z is a circular aperture through the lower part of lugf, large enough toallow ball k to project about one-third its diameter. Each end of slatsh has in it a rabbeted hole, h", of larger diameter than ball k.

h is a hardenedsteel washer fitting loosely into rabbeted hole h of slath, and is perforated concentrically with a straight or parallel sidedopening, 2', of a diameter equal to the chord of about one-eighth of thediameter of ball 7.. The lower edge of openingi has just the sharp edgetaken ofl'.

By sustaining the ball of the caster upon a loosely-fitting ring adaptedto rotate in a horizontal plane, I avoid all liability of cuttingcirculargrooves on the ball,and therefore keep the surface of the ballsmooth, so that it will move easily in any direction.

I claim as my invention and desire to seen re by Letters Patent 1. Incombination with a trunk, metal ends B B, provided with conoidalpyramidal surfaces b.

2. The combination, with a trunk provided In testimony whereofI affix mysignaturein with metal ends having side flanges to fit the presence oftwo witnesses.

body of the trunk and lugs to receive the ends I of slats, of a1o0se1y-fitting ring in a recess in WILLETT STILLMAN' 5 the ends of saidslats at the bottom of the trunk Witnesses:

as a bearing-surface for a bail-caster, as set M. O. CLARKE,

forth. W. M. G. PARSONS.

